News & events

Niall Dickson to join the GMC as new Chief Executive

14 July 2009

The GMC has appointed Niall Dickson as the new Chief Executive of the General Medical Council. He will take up his post in January next year.

Niall joins the GMC from The King’s Fund, where he has been Chief Executive since 2004. Prior to that, he was the BBC’s Social Affairs Editor.

GMC Chair, Professor Peter Rubin, welcomed Mr Dickson’s appointment, saying: “The GMC is leading a major programme of regulatory change for doctors – including the introduction of revalidation. This is a challenging time and Niall Dickson is ideal for the job. He brings a wide understanding of the complex issues involved in delivering top quality healthcare in the UK.

“As a former broadcaster, he also has a strong record in communications, which will be vital in helping us to engage with doctors, patients and the public about the changes which are coming.

“I am confident that Niall can build on the many achievements of Finlay Scott, who has been Chief Executive of the GMC for 15 years.”

Niall Dickson biography

Niall Dickson took up his post at The King’s Fund in January 2004 - since then the Fund has led the debate around how to improve the care of patients with long term conditions, pioneered our understanding of health care reform and commissioned major inquiries including a review of social care funding, which led directly to a government Green Paper on the future funding of social care in England.

He has an understanding of the GMC through his recent chairmanship of one of the Department of Health working groups tasked with taking forward recommendations in the White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety. Niall chaired the group asked to examine those aspects of the White Paper concerned with enhancing public confidence in the regulators of healthcare professionals.

As a member of the Cabinet Office Honours Committee (Health), the NHS National Stakeholder Form and the ministerial sounding board on social care, Niall will bring many insights into the wider aspects of healthcare policy to the GMC. 

He is also a trustee of the Consumers Association (Which?) and of the Leeds Castle Foundation as well as a patron of the charity ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence). Niall is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

He was educated in Scotland and went to Edinburgh University. Early working experiences included teaching in a comprehensive school, work for Age Concern England and a number of years editing the Nursing Times. He joined the BBC as its health correspondent 1988 and went on to become its Social Affairs Editor in 1995.

End of life treatment and care consultation closed

14 July 2009

The consultation on draft guidance for doctors, End of life treatment and care: Good practice in decision-making is now closed. More information about the consultation and next steps will be available at www.gmc-uk.org/end_of_life shortly. If you have any questions about the consultation please email standards.consult@gmc-uk.org or phone 020 7189 5414.

Consultation begins on guidance to doctors on research and making and using recordings of patients

8 July 2009

Doctors are being asked for their views on three pieces of draft GMC guidance.

These are Good practice in research, Consent to research, and Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients.

These new pieces of guidance will update our existing publications Research: the role and responsibility of doctors (2002) and Making and using visual and audio recordings of patients (2002).

The draft pieces of guidance take account of changes to the law and new GMC guidance on consent and confidentiality. 

The consultation will run until 25 September 2009 and is open to anyone with an interest who wishes to respond.

To take part visit https://gmc.e-consultation.net/econsult/default.aspx

Doctors asked to make Licensing decision by 14 August 2009

2 July 2009

Doctors who have not yet told the GMC whether they will require a licence when licensing begins in November are being asked to make their decision by Friday 14 August 2009.

Well over half of all registered doctors have now confirmed whether they want to hold registration with a licence or registration without a licence from 16 November – the date on which licensing for doctors will begin.

The GMC will be writing to those doctors who have not yet responded to the ‘Licensing: it’s time to decide’ campaign over the next few weeks. Doctors will be asked to make their decision by the mid-August deadline.

To help doctors make their licensing decision, a new website called Licensing help has been launched today at www.gmc-uk.org/licensinghelp. The website features cases studies of doctors in different professional situations and support from senior figures in the medical profession. These high profile doctors include Dr Hamish Meldrum of the BMA, Dr Ramesh Mehta of BAPIO and Dr Frances Elliot of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

All registered doctors are entitled to a licence. From 16 November any doctor wishing to practise medicine in the UK will, by law, need to hold both registration and a licence to practise.

More information about licensing for doctors can be found on our licensing and revalidation pages.

Forthcoming consultation on GMC guidance on research and making and using recordings of patients

23 June 2009

The GMC is reviewing its guidance to doctors on research and on making and using visual and audio recordings of patients. As part of the review, we will shortly be launching a public consultation on the draft guidance.

This guidance has been updated to take account of changes to the law and revised GMC guidance on consent and confidentiality.

The consultation will begin in the first two weeks of July 2009 and will run for approximately 12 weeks. The consultation will be open to anyone with an interest who wishes to respond.

If you would like to take part, please register at https://gmc.e-consultation.net/econsult/default.aspx and we can alert you when the consultation starts.

GMC announces launch date for doctors’ licences

8 June 2009

The GMC has announced the launch date of a milestone in medical regulation.  From 16 November, all doctors will need a licence in order to practise medicine in the UK.

Currently, to practise medicine in the UK, a doctor has to be registered with the GMC. But from 16 November, all doctors will need a licence in addition to their GMC registration to undertake any form of medical practice in the UK, including, but not limited to, writing prescriptions, holding a post as a doctor in the NHS, and signing death and cremation certificates.

Since 20 April 2009, the GMC has been contacting all doctors on its register to find out whether they wish to take a licence.  Some doctors, such as academics or researchers, won’t need a licence to practise and are therefore choosing to hold registration without a licence.

GMC Chair Professor Peter Rubin said:

“We have received a good response to the licensing campaign, having asked 225,000 doctors whether they want a licence to practise.  So far, almost 50% of doctors have responded, with the vast majority choosing to take a licence.

“The introduction of the licence is the first step towards a new system called revalidation, the process through which doctors will be asked periodically to demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practise in the job they do.

“Licensing is a major milestone. The next stage is to implement revalidation.  Once we have the results back from the pilots we will be in a position to draw together a more coherent revalidation timetable.”

The GMC has produced a guide, Revalidation: Information for Doctors and Frequently Asked Questions, which aims to answer doctors’ queries about revalidation.

GMC publishes answers to revalidation questions

3 June 2009

The GMC has published its first, comprehensive set of frequently asked questions for doctors on revalidation.

The FAQs cover a wide range of issues including the timetable for implementing revalidation, the information that doctors will have to collect as part of the process, how revalidation will work for doctors in different types of medical practice, and the role of the Responsible Officer.

The information has been developed in partnership with a wide range of organisations – including the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and several of the medical Royal Colleges.

The first revalidations will not happen before 2011. From there, the roll-out of revalidation will be incremental.

The new frequently asked questions on revalidation are available to read on our licensing and revalidation web pages. They can also be downloaded in a single document:

Revalidation: Information for Doctors and Frequently Asked Questions (Issue 1 / June 2009)(154Kb, pdf)

GMC consults on the management of fitness to practise cases

26 May 2009

The GMC has launched two consultations concerning the operation of the Fitness to Practise Rules procedures.

The first consultation concerns proposals to extend our use of consensual disposal and also considers our voluntary erasure procedures in cases in which there are fitness to practise issues. The second consultation concerns the management of Fitness to Practise Panel hearings.

Both consultations reflect our commitment to ensuring that our Fitness to Procedures remain fit for purpose; they follow on from an earlier consultation which runs until 22 May on proposed changes to our Fitness to Practise Rules. 

The consultations run until 19 August.  To take part visit our consultation site.

Further information Michael Cotton mcotton@gmc-uk.org.

Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Test

19 May 2009

We have vacancies on the PLAB Panels due to members’ terms of office coming to an end. The PLAB test, the main route to registration for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), consists of Part 1 (computer-marked written examination) and Part 2 (objective structured clinical examination). There is a Panel for each examination. The Panels are responsible for recommending developments in their respective examinations and for ensuring that the examination is of the appropriate standard.
 
We are seeking Consultants or those of equivalent academic status in the following specialties only:

Part 1 Panel – Surgery

Part 2 Panel – Accident and Emergency Medicine; Surgery

PLAB Panels Notes for applicants (151Kb, pdf)
PLAB Part 1 Panel Job description (135Kb, pdf)
PLAB Part 1 Panel Person specification(140Kb, pdf)
PLAB Part 1 Panel Application form (480Kb, doc)
PLAB Part 2 Panel Job description(139Kb, pdf)
PLAB Part 2 Panel Person specification(140Kb, pdf)
PLAB Part 2 Panel Application form (483Kb, doc)

The closing date for completed applications is Monday 22 June 2009.

GMC: Have your say on rules for Doctors

01 May 2009

The General Medical Council (GMC) is seeking volunteers to give their opinions on a range of health issues.  Feedback will help to inform and influence the policies and decisions of the GMC.

 It is planned that 25 members of the public and 25 registered medical practitioners will make up the first ever GMC Reference Community. While volunteers will not be asked to make policy decisions, they will be asked for their opinion on a range of key GMC topics such as:

• the ethical guidelines that doctors are required to follow;


• the GMC website to make sure it is clear and easy to use, especially for members of the public.


• the process by which a doctor is regularly appraised;

 GMC Council Member Ros Levenson said: “This is an opportunity to inform and influence the policies and decisions that maintain the health and safety of patients across the UK.

“Whether you’re a doctor or someone with a strong interest in healthcare, we’d like your opinions on a range of health issues from the principles that define how a doctor should act to how we communicate with doctors and the public.

“What we are looking for are the personal and professional opinions and experiences of a variety of members of the public and doctors.”

 Each volunteer would ideally give around 20 to 30 hours per year but this could vary according to individual circumstances. There are a variety of ways volunteers can contribute to the group including commenting on draft publications; replying to a poll or questionnaire and occasional meetings that can fit around personal or professional commitments.

Candidates should not represent the opinion of an organisation as the GMC already has systems in place to engage with professional bodies and interest groups. 

For information or to volunteer to take part, please visit our Reference Community website

Licensing: it’s time to decide

23 April 2009

The GMC is rolling out the next stage of its licensing campaign by writing to all registered doctors across the UK. We are asking doctors to confirm whether or not they wish to hold registration with a licence to practise when licensing is introduced.

From Autumn 2009 doctors will, by law, need to be both registered and hold a licence in order to practise medicine in the UK. Doctors working overseas will not need a licence for the period they are out of the UK.

The annual fee for maintaining registration with a licence to practise will be the same as the current annual retention fee - £410. The annual fee for holding registration without a licence will be £145.

GMC Chair Professor Peter Rubin said:

“Doctors have an important decision to make in advance of licensing being introduced. They will have the option of holding registration with or without a licence.

“The decision should be straightforward for most doctors. However, the decision they will make will depend on their professional situation and the particular activities they carry out.

“Legal and contractual issues will require many doctors to hold registration with a licence. However the option to be registered without a licence will provide some doctors, particularly those working outside of the UK, with an alternative.”

Licensing will be the first step towards the introduction of revalidation. When this new approach to medical regulation is introduced, doctors with a licence will be subject to revalidation. They will need to undertake the periodic renewal of their licence by demonstrating that they remain up to date and fit to practise.

These reforms will help doctors develop their professional practice throughout their careers, and contribute to higher quality of care for patients.

The introduction of licensing will begin in Autumn 2009. The GMC will announce the start date shortly and all doctors will know in advance when licensing will begin. Information to help doctors make their decision will be sent to them over the next few weeks.

More information can be found in the Licensing and revalidation section.

Professor Peter Rubin elected new Chair of GMC Council

6 April 2009

Professor Peter Rubin has been elected Chair of the GMC Council. He will take up office on 20 April 2009 and succeeds Sir Graeme Catto who has been President of the GMC (now Chair of Council) since February 2002.

Professor Rubin is a leading figure in UK medicine. He is Professor of Therapeutics and Honorary Consultant Physician at Nottingham University Hospitals. Professor Rubin has spent much of his career specialising in the medical disorders of pregnancy and continues to be involved in front line medicine. He was Chair of the GMC Education Committee from 2002 - 2008, Chair of the Post Graduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) from 2005 - 2008 and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham from 1997 - 2003. He also has considerable experience of other professions.   As a Board member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, he co-Chaired the Dental Joint Implementation Group and he also chaired the project group in Nottingham that developed the first new Vet School in the UK for over half a century.

Professor Rubin said:

“It is an honour and a privilege to become Chair of the General Medical Council. The next few years for the GMC will be challenging and exciting as we continue to deliver a major agenda of change.

“The GMC has a hugely important role in maintaining and assuring patient safety through the highest standards in medicine. I am looking forward to working with doctors, patients, employers and educators alike to ensure we continue to fulfil that role.”

The GMC’s reconstituted Council that took office on 1 January 2009 has, for the first time, an equal representation of lay and medical members. The Chair is elected by the Council from among its members. The composition of the Council reflects the GMC’s key interest groups: patients and the public; doctors; the NHS and other healthcare providers; and medical schools and medical Royal Colleges.

Consultation begins on new end of life care guidance

27 March 2009

The General Medical Council is today launching a consultation on new draft guidance, End of life treatment and care: Good practice in decision-making.

Lady Christine Eames, Chair of the working group responsible for drafting the guidance said:

“Good end of life care helps patients to live as well as possible until they die and to die with dignity. The draft guidance is based on long-established ethical principles which include doctors’ obligations to show respect for human life; protect the health of their patients; and to make the care of their patients their first concern.

“This is an important piece of guidance and I would encourage doctors, patients and other health professionals to respond to the consultation.”

To read the guidance, and find out more about the consultation, go to www.gmc-uk.org/end_of_life_care.

GMC consults on changes to Fitness to Practise Rules

19 March 2009

The GMC launched a two-month consultation into a package of proposed changes to its Fitness to Practise Rules today.  The proposed changes to the Fitness to Practise Rules form part of the GMC’s ongoing and regular review of its procedures. It is one of several planned consultations on proposed changes in fitness to practise policy for 2009.

The Rules, and accompanying guidance, provide the legal framework for the GMC’s Fitness to Practise procedures. They are used by individuals such as panellists and lawyers.

Proposed changes to the Rules include:

• Provision for the Registrar to filter out vexatious complaints about a doctor at the point of initial consideration of a complaint. The total number of such complaints received by the GMC forms a very small proportion of the total. 
  
  
•  Extension of the circumstances under which a decision to conclude a complaint may be reviewed; a decision would not be reviewed more than two years after it was made other than in exceptional circumstances.

Paul Philip, Director of Standards and Fitness to Practise at the GMC, said,

“This open consultation forms part of our regular work in which we review and improve our procedures to ensure that they are fair, objective, transparent and free from unlawful discrimination, while maintaining their effectiveness and efficiency. We would like to encourage organisations such as defence bodies, patient organisations and Royal Colleges to give us their views on this package of proposed changes.”

The consultation runs until 22 May 2009.

Take part in the consultation on our consultation website

The GMC will publish the revised Rules later in the year.

On your best behaviour: new guidance for medical students

11 March 2009

GMC guidance launched today outlines the professional behaviour and values expected of UK medical students. Medical Students: professional values and fitness to practise is available at www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/undergraduate_policy/professional_behaviour.asp

As well as advising students on professional conduct it also advises medical schools on how to develop consistent procedures for dealing with students when their fitness to practise is called into question.

The guidance stresses that student fitness to practise is not about preventing trainee doctors relaxing or having fun, rather it is about creating a safe environment for patients and promoting professional standards. It suggests ways that students can positively demonstrate they are fit to practise, including:

• Making sure that patients have consented to a student being involved in their care
• Not discussing a patient’s case in public or identifying the patient in academic work
• Maintaining a professional boundary between themselves and their patients
• Being honest and original in their academic work and bringing attention to any errors in their clinical work.

For the first time, the guidance recognises that poor health can have an impact on medical students’ performance and fitness to practise. This guidance outlines what action should be taken when this is a risk. It says that:

• Students should be aware that their own health problems may put patients and colleagues at risk
• Students should be registered with a GP
• Medical schools must provide students with the opportunity to seek support before poor health becomes a fitness to practise concern.

Professor Jim McKillop, Chair of the GMC’s Undergraduate Board said:

“Concerns may be raised about a student’s fitness to practise because of conduct or ill health, though these are very separate issues. Most students with health problems or a disability will not raise concerns about fitness to practise so long as they recognise any limitations that their condition may impose and reasonable adjustments are made for them. We hope that this guidance will help medical schools, students and prospective students understand what is expected of them.”

A poster promoting the guidance to students is being issued to all UK medical schools to display. The GMC consulted with student and patient advisory bodies, disability organisations, occupational health specialists, Fitness to Practise Health Assessors, groups for medical practitioners involved in education, NHS employers, medical schools and postgraduate deaneries

For further information please contact the Media Relations Office on 020 7189 5454, out of hours 020 7189 5444, fax 020 7189 5401, email press@gmc-uk.org, website http://www.gmc-uk.org.

Forthcoming consultation on new end of life guidance

10 March 2009

Following recent coverage in the media, we have received a number of requests for copies of the draft guidance End of Life Treatment and Care: Good Practice in Decision-making, which Council considered on 25 February 2009.

The draft is currently being revised to reflect discussion at that meeting, and will be published for consultation in the week commencing 23 March 2009. The guidance text, together with details of how to respond to the consultation, will be posted on this website. The consultation will run until 13 July 2009.

If you would like to register an interest in the consultation, please contact the Standards Team by phone (020 7189 5404) or email (standards@gmc-uk.org).

Call to doctors – Get involved in performance assessment pilots

25 February 2009

Are you a fully registered doctor? Come and help us keep the tests we use in Fitness to Practise Performance Assessments up to date and fit for purpose. The development of new questions and scenarios is part of a rolling programme undertaken with the support of the Medical Royal Colleges. You can assist us by taking a written knowledge test and a 12 station OSCE under examination conditions. Trained assessors will score your performance and you will receive feedback. Feedback from the assessors, volunteers and role-players is used to improve the materiel we are developing. Doctors who have attended previous events tell us that the experience gives them a valuable insight into the work of the GMC and is also excellent examination practice for those about to do postgraduate exams.

Volunteers must have worked in the relevant specialty within the last year and will receive a fee of £350 plus travel expenses. CPD credits will be given.

The events are held in the Clinical Assessment Centre at our Euston Road office in London

Upcoming dates are:

• O&G May 19-20
• Anaesthetics May 21-23
• Paediatrics July 20-21
• GP July 22
• Child psychiatry July 23-24

Our partner in developing these tests is The Academic Centre for Medical Education (ACME) which is part of the Division of Medical Education at University College London Medical School (UCLMS). Please contact t.acme@medsch.ucl.ac.uk for further information or an application form.

GMC Council sets out priorities for 2009

10 February 2009

The General Medical Council has published its Business Plan for 2009.

The Business Plan 2009 sets out ten key aims. These include plans to:

• Continue to set and uphold appropriate professional standards for doctors. This includes developing more interactive case studies on the well received GMP in Action website and consulting on good practice guidance such as ‘End of Life’ guidance. 
• Bring together all stages of medical education and training.
• Introduce licenses as the first crucial step towards revalidation which will provide enhanced assurance that licensed doctors are fit to practise.

The GMC has entered 2009 with a reconstituted governing body that is charged with setting the strategic direction of the GMC. For the first time, the Council comprises equal numbers of lay and medical members to make it fully reflective of those who receive and provide healthcare across the UK.

The Business Plan will inform the longer-term strategic plan that the Council will consider in the course of 2009. A copy of the Business Plan 2009 can be found at: http://www.gmc-uk.org/publications/business_plans/index.asp.

New award gives public the chance to thank healthcare staff

6 February 2009

Patients and the public are being invited to nominate doctors for good service.

The Department of Health has launched The People’s Award for Dignity in Care for doctors and all health & social care staff to officially say thank you and highlight the good work they do.

Anyone involved in professional care-giving is eligible, from nurses and social workers, to hospital porters and nursing home employees, providing they have gone the extra mile to ensure dignity and respect in any area of health and social care.

Phil Hope, Minster for Care Services says: “None of us want to imagine that if we suffer from an illness, disability or need care in our older years that we will not be treated with the dignity and respect that every individual deserves. With this award we want to thank staff - whether they are careworkers, nurses, people who run care homes or people who run whole social service departments, for the fantastic differences they are making to people’s lives, both directly and by inspiring others to follow their lead.”

You can nominate at www.dignityincare.org.uk or by calling 0870 000 1100.

PLAB Part 2 Exam – Cancellation

4 February 2009

Further updates (Last updated, 4 February, 11:30 )

• Wednesday 4 February – exam cancelled. Candidates will be contacted with details about a rescheduled date.
• Thursday 5 February – We will run this exam and candidates should turn up at the report time on their email confirmation/admission letter.
• Friday 6 February – We will run this exam and candidates should turn up at the report time on their email confirmation/admission letter.

Candidates for the exams on Thursday and Friday should continue to monitor this page in case the situation changes.

Contact us

Should you require further assistance, please contact us.

Doctors urged to take part in licensing regulations consultation

21 January 2009

The General Medical Council (GMC) is today launching a three-month consultation on its draft Licence to Practise Regulations and supporting guidance for doctors.

The consultation covers the GMC’s proposed arrangements for granting, withdrawing, refusing and restoring licences to practise.

Licences to practise are being introduced in the autumn of this year. In future, all doctors wishing to practise medicine in the UK will need a licence to practise.

Chair of the Council, Sir Graeme Catto, said: “Licensing represents a significant change in medical regulation, and the publication of the draft regulations and guidance shows that we are making real progress in our work to deliver the licence to practise later this year. It is the first tangible step towards the introduction of revalidation.

“This consultation will give doctors, employers and others who will be affected by these regulations and guidance the opportunity to say whether they are clear, fair, straightforward and in the public interest.”

The consultation runs until 21 April 2009. You can complete your response to the consultation on the GMC’s public consultation site by visiting https://gmc.e-consultation.net/econsult/default.aspx

Poster on their medical rights designed by young people

14 January 2009

A poster informing young people of their rights when visiting a doctor has been launched today. The poster was designed by a group of young people aged between 13 and 15 years, as part of a project commissioned by the General Medical Council (GMC) and run by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB).

The young people from across the UK produced the final design with the help of a professional designer after reviewing key messages from the GMC’s 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors. That guidance sets out doctors’ responsibilities to act always in the best interests of children and young people, to listen to them and to involve them in decisions that affect them.

John Jenkins, Chairman of the GMC Standards and Ethics Committee that produced the 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors, said: ‘We have worked with partners across the UK to help spread the message that young people are individuals with rights that should be respected. A poster designed by young people for young people should help explain what they can expect from their doctors and how they can help them to provide care in a way that is relevant to them.’

Liz Zachary, Project Development Officer, NCB, said: ‘We want young people to know that they have the right to access their medical records and to see a doctor on their own if they want to. The young people’s rights poster will be displayed in youth clubs, medical clinics, schools and libraries across the United Kingdom, which will help to improve the working relationship between doctors and young people, and give children and young people the reassurance that their medical problems will not be dismissed by doctors.’

Copies of the poster are available free of charge from Liz Zachary at NCB lzachary@ncb.org.uk or downloadable from www.gmc-uk.org/children

Interactive tool brings GMC guidance to life for doctors

12 January 2009

The General Medical Council has launched a new set of interactive case studies to bring its ethical guidance to life.

GMP in Action II enables users to role play a doctor faced with a series of ethical dilemmas. It follows the launch of GMP in Action 12 months ago, which has proved popular with doctors, medical students and a range of other website users.

Participants can watch and listen to each of four patients’ consultations.  As each dilemma unfolds, the user can decide which option is the best match to the GMC’s guidance in Good Medical Practice and supporting guidance booklets.  Practising doctors discuss the ethical issues for each dilemma in a ‘Case Notes’ section. There are also links to the guidance itself and any other relevant information.

The case studies deal with a variety of issues in both hospital and GP settings, and involve children as well as adults as patients.

Scenarios include:

• Andrew who is receiving chemotherapy for cancer.  Andrew’s parents ask Dr Simpson not to inform him about his condition, as he is too young.  Should Dr Simpson tell Andrew?
• Christopher is five years old and is being bullied at school because his ears stick out. His parents are separated and they do not agree about whether his ears should be surgically pinned back.  What should Dr Williams do?
• Suzie has noticed a change in the colour and appearance of a mole on her leg and seeks treatment for it, but does not want Dr Austin to explain the more grisly aspects of the procedure.  Should Dr Austin tell her anyway?
• Shannon is 27 and has a severe learning disability.  Shannon’s mother tells Dr Oloko she isn’t feeling well, and that she thinks something is hurting her.  When Shannon can’t explain what’s wrong how should Dr Oloko go about making a diagnosis?

Dr John Jenkins, Chair of the GMC’s Standards and Ethics Committee, said:

“Following the huge success of Good Medical Practice in Action earlier this year, this is a welcome opportunity to expand on and improve the content of the web zone.  There are more challenging situations to help doctors and patients engage with our ethical guidance.  While the site is designed to help doctors, patients and students in medicine and other healthcare professions have also used it and this is something we would keenly encourage”.

The interactive tool is available on recently launched he Good Medical Practice in Action website. http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/case_studies/index.asp

For a full list of the GMC’s ethical guidance, go to: www.gmc-uk.org/guidance

Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Test – Part 1 Question Writers

6 January 2009

We have extended the closing date for applications for PLAB Part 1 question writers to Wednesday 14 January 2009. Applications are sought from the groupings listed below.  

We are looking to expand our Part 1 Question Writing Pool and invite Consultants (or those of equivalent academic status) or Specialist Trainees (ST3 and above) or equivalent Staff and Associate Specialist grade with knowledge and skills in any specialty to apply. University academics in Basic Medical Sciences (who may be medically or non-medically qualified) who teach medical undergraduate and/or postgraduate students are also invited to apply.

The PLAB test, the main route to registration for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), consists of Part 1 (computer-marked written examination) and Part 2 (objective structured clinical examination). The Question Writers produce extended matching questions (EMQs) and single best answer (SBA) questions used in the Part 1 examination.

• PLAB Part 1 Question writers Notes for applicants (155Kb, pdf)
• PLAB Part 1 Question writers Job description (132Kb, pdf)
• PLAB Part 1 Question writers Person specification (139Kb, pdf)
• PLAB Part 1 Question writers Application form (453Kb, Word doc)

The closing date for completed applications is Wednesday 14 January 2009.

The Annual Retention Fee 2009/2010

5 January 2009

With effect from 1 April 2009 the GMC’s Annual Retention Fee for full registration and restoration to the Register will be £410. The fee for provisional registration will be £140. The threshold for eligibility for the lower income discount will be £21,862.

Read more about the annual retention fee and how the GMC is continuing to improve our economy and efficiency.

GMC launches formal consultation on revised Tomorrow's Doctors

12 December 2008

The GMC is consulting on a revised draft of Tomorrow's Doctors.

Tomorrow's Doctors sets the standards expected of medical schools for the delivery of teaching, learning and assessment and lists the outcomes that medical students must demonstrate before graduation . It was last published in 2003. It has been redrafted to take account of major developments, including the publication of a new edition of Good Medical Practice in 2006 ,the coming merger of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) with the GMC in 2010, and the creation of the Foundation Programme. The redraft reflects research findings, the GMC's quality assurance of medical schools and extensive engagement with key interests.

The consultation will be open from 15 December 2008 to 27 March 2009. You can respond to the consultation online at https://gmc.e-consultation.net/econsult/default.aspx

Consultative conference - 2 March 2009

We will also be hosting a consultative conference on the revised Tomorrow's Doctors on 2 March 2009 in London. Registration has now closed. You can view the conference programme here (Word).

Read further information about the review of Tomorrow's Doctors

GMC appoints Chair for UK Revalidation Programme Board

9 December 2008

The GMC is pleased to announce the appointment of Sir Michael Pitt as the Chair of the UK Revalidation Programme Board.

The Revalidation Programme Board will oversee the delivery of the revalidation process by the four countries of the UK. The board will report directly to the GMC and include representatives from the four administrations, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the GMC, BMA and patient organisations as well as the NHS and other healthcare providers. The first meeting is expected to take place early in 2009.

Sir Michael is the chair of the South West Strategic Health Authority, which oversees the operation of the National Health Service in the South West of England. He was also appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in August 2007. In this role he chaired an independent review into the floods which affected parts of the United Kingdom in the summer of 2007.

Sir Graeme Catto, President of the GMC, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Sir Michael who brings with him a wealth of experience from the civil service, private sector and local government. We are already working very closely with the organisations that will be represented on this new board; we look forward to an even more cohesive approach with this appointment.”

Sir Michael Pitt, Chair of the Revalidation Programme Board, said: “Revalidation represents a significant change in medical regulation and I look forward to undertaking this role at what is a very exciting and challenging time.“ 

The General Medical Council plans to introduce licences to practise in the autumn of 2009. Licensing will be the first step towards the introduction of revalidation.

GMC launches complaints website for patients

18 November 2008

The GMC has launched a new online information centre, Patients’ help, to let patients know who to contact when they have a concern about a doctor.

Patients’ help is the first website to help patients navigate the complaints system. It provides case studies, includes a timeline for the life of a GMC complaint, and an interactive map with contact details for local help and advice centres across the UK. An online complaints form is part of the site.  This asks users some questions in order to ascertain whether their complaint should be coming to the GMC. Patients’ help is available in English and Welsh.

The GMC is one of several organisations that patients can contact when they have a concern about a doctor. It deals with complaints that bring an individual doctor's fitness to practise into question  -  for example in cases of serious or repeated mistakes in carrying out a medical procedure or in clinical diagnosis; serious breaches of a patient’s confidentiality; or serious cases of fraud or dishonesty.

A recent GMC survey conducted by GFK NOP found that nearly a quarter of people questioned said that they didn’t know who to complain to about their doctor. Patients’ help will help patients understand when a complaint should be directed to the GMC and when to contact another local organisation where the incident occurred. Typically the GMC receives 5,000 complaints a year, yet only around 1,700 of these are appropriate for the GMC to investigate.

How to make a complaint may vary depending on where in the UK the patient received treatment and whether they received NHS or private healthcare.

Paul Philip, Director of Standards and Fitness to Practise, GMC said:

“The vast majority of doctors are good doctors who work in partnership with their patients. But, when things go wrong patients need to know where to turn. We recognise that it can be a stressful time for patients when they have a grievance with a doctor. We hope that Patients’ help will to make it clear what these patients need to do and make the process less worrying for them.

“The GMC has worked with local advice organisations across the UK to produce Patients’ help. Patients need to know which body to contact so that their complaint will be dealt with appropriately and efficiently by the right organisation the first time round.”

Katherine Murphy, Director of Communications, Patients’ Association said:

"It is stressful enough for patients to have to complain about their doctor. A recent survey conducted by the Patients' Association highlighted that many patients find the NHS complaints process cumbersome and difficult. We welcome the GMC's new site and its aim to improve and simplify the situation for everyone."

• View Patients’ help
• View Patients’ help (Welsh language version)

Please click here if you have trouble accessing Patients’ help

GMC President Sir Graeme Catto calls on doctors for their views on confidentiality

7 November 2008

Sir Graeme Catto, President of the GMC, has recorded a podcast calling on doctors to put forward their views on confidentiality.

The podcast, which can be downloaded below, covers many of the issues doctors face frequently in this difficult area and forms part of the consultation into the GMC’s guidance on confidentiality. 

In the podcast, Sir Graeme is joined by the GMC’s Head of Standards and Ethics, Jane O’Brien.  They discuss such areas as doctors’ duties to report injuries incurred as the result of a suspected violent attack, patients’ concerns around the security of electronic records and new draft guidance for doctors about responding to criticism from the press.

Sir Graeme’s message to doctors is clear:

“We would like doctors to tell us what they think of this guidance, and we do hope that they will respond to this consultation.  Confidentiality is an area which doctors can feel insecure about – indeed, 25% of the ethical enquiries the GMC receives are about confidentiality issues, and the majority of these are from doctors – so we are very keen to seek their views.”

You can listen to the podcast here.  

Doctors can take part in the consultation using either the the short consultation form or the full version.

Doctors can take part in a short consultation or the full version.  For further information or to take part visit http://www.gmc-uk.org/confidentiality/

GMC welcomes HRH The Princess Royal

6 November 2008

Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal met GMC Council Members and staff at our London office on Thursday.  During  the visit, the Princess Royal toured the GMC Assessment Centre and unveiled a plaque to mark the GMC’s 150th anniversary.  

In 1858, the Princess’ great, great, great, grandmother, Queen Victoria, gave Royal Assent to the Medical Act 1858 which established ‘The General Council of Medical Education and Registration of the United Kingdom’. The Council was set up to protect the public by enabling ‘those in need of medical aid to distinguish the qualified from the unqualified’. 150 years later, the two functions of maintaining the list of registered medical practitioners and setting the standards for doctors’ education and training remain central to the GMC’s role.  

The first register of 15,000 names appeared in July 1859. Today there are over 240,000 names on the medical register.

A member of staff presented the Princess with a posy of flowers and GMC President Sir Graeme Catto thanked her on behalf of the Council and members of staff. 

150th anniversary events are also taking place in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh. 

GMC welcomes appointment of Council Members

21 October 2008

The Appointments Commission has confirmed the names of the members it has appointed to the reconstituted Council, who will take office on 1 January 2009.

GMC President Sir Graeme Catto said:

“I am delighted that the Appointments Commission has identified such high quality candidates to lead the GMC and I look forward to welcoming them onto the Council.

I would like to pay tribute to the dedication and hard work of current Council members. During a period of great change, they have provided the strong and effective leadership that was required to deliver the GMC’s statutory purpose - to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine. We owe them all a great deal.”

From 1 January 2009, the Council will consist of 24 members, of whom 12 are lay and 12 are medical. To ensure continuity, Sir Graeme was re-appointed as a member of the GMC so that he can continue as Chair of the reconstituted Council for six months, until 30 June 2009, during which time the Council will elect a member to succeed him. 

The composition of the reconstituted Council reflects the GMC’s key interest groups: patients and the public; doctors; the NHS and other healthcare providers; and medical schools and medical Royal Colleges.

The relevant legislation ensures that at least one Council member must live or work wholly or mainly in each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The names of the members are:

• Sir Rodney Brooke
• Professor Jane Dacre (start date 1 July 2009, when Sir Graeme’s term of office expires and he steps down from the Council)
• Dr Sam Everington
• Ms Sally Hawkins
• Dr John Jenkins
• Lord Archibald Kirkwood
• Ms Ros Levenson
• Dr Malcolm Lewis
• Mr Robin MacLeod
• Professor Rajan Madhok
• Dr Johann Malawana
• Dr Joan Martin
• Mrs Suzanne McCarthy
• Professor Jim McKillop
• Professor Trudie Roberts
• Mrs Ann Robinson
• Mrs Enid Rowlands
• Professor Peter Rubin
• Dr Mairi Scott
• Professor Iqbal Singh
• Professor Terence Stephenson
• Ms Anne Weyman
• Mr Stephen Whittle
• Dr Hamish Wilson

Short biographies can be found in our online press office website.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, candidates were asked to declare any political activity they had undertaken in the last 5 years. The declarations of the appointees are included in the biographies.   

GMC decision to withdraw the age exemption for the annual retention fee has been upheld in the High Court

3 October 2008

We are pleased that the Court has upheld as lawful our decision to withdraw age exemption from the annual retention fee. We will be writing to doctors affected by the change, about the action they need to take to continue or relinquish their registration.

Equality and Diversity Research Forum

On 10 September 2008 Baroness Valerie Amos chaired an Equality and Diversity Research Forum to discuss some of the research commissioned by the GMC through the Economic and Social Research Council. The Forum also discussed relevant research commissioned directly by the GMC.

Read the agenda (19Kb, pdf) and a note of discussion (196Kb, pdf) from the meeting.

Read presentations introducing the research discussed at the meeting.

• Equality, diversity and fitness to practise: Exploring and explaining variations in the identification, handling and outcomes of concerns about doctors (143kb, ppt)
• The experiences of UK, EU and non-EU medical graduates making the transition to the UK workplace (491kb, ppt)
• International comparative analysis of medical regulatory models (456kb, ppt)
• A study of the level of understanding among non-UK qualified doctors about the ethics of medical practice (196kb, ppt)

Updated ethical guidance

18 September 2008

The GMC has updated the guidance it gives on prescribing, conflicts of interests and reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings.

The guidance has been revised and updated in light of issues which have been raised with us by doctors, employers, patients and others and is part of our rolling review of all our ethical guidance to make sure it is up to date and fit for purpose.

The main changes to Reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings within and outside the UK clarify doctors’ obligations to tell us about fixed penalty notices for offences such as shoplifting, criminal damage and threatening behaviour. There is also a new duty on doctors to tell us if they receive a warning for the possession of cannabis or an anti-social behaviour order.

We have amended the guidance on Good practice in prescribing medicines to address concerns raised about the inappropriate supply and administration of Botox® and other medicines, particularly when this is done in the absence of a doctor, but whose GMC number might be used to obtain the medicines or who might prescribe or direct administration.

Finally, we have made a number of changes to the advice in Conflicts of interest in response to doctors’ and various public and medical bodies’ requests for additional guidance on a number of issues, including Practice Based Commissioning, doctors’ relationships with the pharmaceutical industry and target payments for preventative health measures and health monitoring.

Read the revised guidance

Read the press release

GMC launches formal consultation on revised confidentiality guidance for doctors

08 September 2008

The GMC is consulting on revised guidance for doctors on the principles of confidentiality and respect for patients’ privacy that doctors are expected to understand and follow.

The GMC’s current guidance, Confidentiality: protecting and providing information was published in 2004 following considerable public debate about the balance between respect for individuals’ privacy rights and the benefits of various uses of patient identifiable information.

We are now consulting on revised core guidance, Confidentiality: a draft for consultation and seven pieces of supplementary guidance on topics including disclosing information about serious communicable diseases and reporting gunshot and knife wounds. Read more about the consultation.

The consultation is running from 08 September 2008 to Friday 28 November 2008.

You can complete your response to the consultation on the GMC’s new public consultation site: https://gmc.e-consultation.net/econsult/.   

Alternatively, telephone the Standards and Ethics Team on 020 7189 5404 or email us to request hard copies or copies in alternative formats, such as large print, audio and in Welsh.

Medical leadership

Doctors can play a vital role in managing health services. The GMC has been working alongside the Joint Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, on a new project which aims to enhance engagement in medical leadership.

A Medical Leadership Competency Framework has been developed as part of the UK-wide project, Enhancing Engagement in Medical Leadership.

The GMC has supported the development of the Competency Framework which is now available online – www.institute.nhs.uk/mlcf. Information on other project activities is available on - www.institute.nhs.uk/medicalleadership.

You can read more about the work that has been done to create the framework – and what people are saying about it – in an online article which appeared in our bi-monthy magazine for doctors, GMCToday.

Reporting knife wounds - interim guidance from the GMC and Department of Health

07 August 2008

The GMC and Department of Health (England) have this week jointly published interim guidance for doctors on reporting knife wounds.

The guidance expands on the principles in Confidentiality: protecting and providing information and complements advice on reporting gunshot wounds.

We will be consulting on advice about reporting knife and gunshot wounds from September as part of the review of our confidentiality guidance.

Read Reporting knife wounds (89Kb, pdf).

Review of Tomorrow’s Doctors

5 August 2008

The GMC has published the first of five bulletins profiling the work taking place surrounding Tomorrow’s Doctors.

Tomorrow’s Doctors sets out the GMC’s standards for the knowledge, skills and behaviours that undergraduate medical students in the UK should learn. These standards provide the framework that UK medical schools use to design their own detailed curricula and schemes of assessment.

The bulletin explains:

• why the document is being reviewed
• the initial aims and outcomes of the review and
• the next steps for delivery.

Read the Review of Tomorrows Doctors bulletin (32kb, pdf).

Public and patient discussion forum

The GMC is holding a half-day public and patient discussion forum on 5 September 2008. The forum will provide an opportunity to contribute to the development of a new draft of Tomorrow’s Doctors which will be published for formal consultation later this year.

The forum will be held at 350 Euston Rd, London, from 11:00 to 14:00.  Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.  

If you, or a representative of your organisation, would like to attend, or if you would like more information, please email tomorrowsdoctors@gmc-uk.org or contact James Reason on 020 7189 5457, no later than Tuesday 19 August.

New guidance - Acting as an Expert Witness

25 July 2008

The GMC has today published new guidance for doctors who act as expert witnesses in court and tribunal proceedings.

The guidance expands on the principles in Good Medical Practice and explains how they apply to the work of the expert witness, and provides links to sources of further information and advice.

Read Acting as an Expert Witness. 

Read the press release.

GMC welcomes CMO report on revalidation

The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has today (Wednesday 23 July) published a report on the future of medical revalidation.

The report sets out the principles and next steps for implementing this change to medical regulation across the United Kingdom.

Welcoming the report, the President of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto, said:

“The introduction of revalidation represents the biggest change to medical regulation in one hundred and fifty years.

“The GMC welcomes the opportunity to work with partners in healthcare organisations across the United Kingdom to develop a supportive process focussed on raising standards that will deliver benefits to both patients and professionals."

Medical revalidation - principles and next steps: the Report of the Chief Medical Officer for England's Working Group can be downloaded from the Department of Health’s website.

Student Fitness to Practise consultation

The GMC and the Medical Schools Council (MSC) are consulting on revised guidance, Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise, and other options proposed to promote consistency in student fitness to practise.

This guidance was published first in 2007 after an extensive period of consultation. We have now amended the guidance to take account of the full scope of fitness to practise issues including health and student support.

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on:

1. Amendments to the guidance, including advice on health, student support and using the threshold and sanctions.
2. The additional options proposed to support medical schools in developing robust and consistent fitness to practise procedures.
3. Opportunities to engage and influence students about their professional values and behaviours.

The consultation ran from 27 June 2008 to 19 September 2008 and is now closed.

Please email edconsultation@gmc-uk.org for further information.

Initial consultation - Consent to research

30 June 2008

The GMC is reviewing the guidance that it gives on involving patients in research. We are seeking preliminary views on the scope and content of new guidance that will supplement our recent publication Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together and replace the guidance on consent issues in Research: the role and responsibilities of doctors.

The consultation closes on Monday 11 August 2008.

Read more and participate in the consultation.

New research supports the potential for using patient and colleague questionnaires in the revalidation process

New research, commissioned by the GMC and published today (3 June), has confirmed that patient and colleague questionnaires may offer a reliable method for assessing the professional performance of UK doctors. The pilot study, led by Professor John Campbell, Foundation Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at Peninsula Medical School, involved 541 doctors, who were assessed by their colleagues and patients using standardised questionnaires developed by the GMC. 

The patient questionnaire focused on gathering the views of patients on a doctor’s communication skills, ability to explain conditions and treatments and to involve the patient in the decision-making process.  The colleague questionnaire asked that colleagues give their views on a number of key issues such as a doctor’s clinical knowledge, teaching skills and prescribing.

The White Paper on the regulation of Health Professionals, published in 2007, confirmed that patient and colleague questionnaires would become a key element in the revalidation of doctors in the future. This new research confirms that patient and colleague questionnaires, developed by the GMC, have potential as a means of collecting information regarding doctors’ performance.

This is an important study as it is essential that any such tools used for assessing the professional performance of doctors, as part of the revalidation process, are adequately researched and validated. 

The GMC has now commissioned the research team, led by Professor Campbell, to undertake more in-depth testing of the questionnaires across whole organisations and in different clinical settings. The outcome of this further research piece will help underpin work on evaluating the professional practice of doctors as part of the revalidation process.

Professor Campbell said, ‘The revalidation of UK doctors is an important development in the regulation of the medical profession. Only by adopting processes thoroughly grounded in research evidence can patients, society, and the medical profession have confidence in the evaluation of a doctor’s professional performance. This study provides that initial confidence. And, in line with aspirations recently expressed in the Government’s White Paper, ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety’, these tools appear to offer doctors the possibility that they can provide real evidence in relation to their clinical practice. Our current work will provide further evidence on the utility of feedback obtained from patients and colleagues in identifying those doctors whose performance might require further scrutiny’.

View research study

Click on the link to view the full article in the Quality and Safety in Health Care journal online.

Consultation on changes to GMC guidance on reporting convictions

Our supplementary guidance on reporting criminal and regulatory proceedings was published alongside the new Good Medical Practice (GMP) in 2006. It provides advice to doctors on the extent of their duty (paragraph 58 of GMP) to report certain criminal and regulatory matters to the GMC.

It requires doctors to notify the GMC if, anywhere in the world, they accept a police caution (or a fiscal fine in Scotland), are charged with or convicted of a criminal offence or have their registration restricted or are found guilty of an offence by another professional regulatory body.

The guidance makes clear that doctors do not need to notify us about road traffic offences where they accept the option of paying a fixed penalty notice. But until now, the guidance has been silent on whether doctors have to notify us about other forms of fixed penalty notices.

We have amended the guidance to clarify doctors’ obligation to tell us about certain fixed penalty notices and other criminal and civil matters, including warnings for the possession of cannabis and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).

Further information

This consultation closes on 18 July 2008. For more information about the consultation, please contact the Standards and Ethics team on 020 7189 5404 or email standards.consult@gmc-uk.org.

New guidance - Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together

The GMC has published new guidance for doctors on consent and decision-making. The guidance

• sets out the key principles of good decision-making, which apply to all decisions about care from simple treatment for minor and self-limiting conditions to major surgery
• takes account of changes in the law, in particular about making decisions when patients lack capacity
• reflects the shift in professional and public attitudes towards more patient-centred care
• contains practical advice on sharing information and discussing treatment options
• includes guidance on how to approach discussions about risk  

The guidance will come into effect on 2 June 2008 and will replace Seeking patients' consent: the ethical considerations. Registered doctors will receive a copy of the guidance booklet with the May edition of GMCToday. 

Download the new guidance

Download a PDF version of the new guidance. An online version with links to further information will be available on this website from 2 June 2008.

Press release

Read the press release.

How the guidance was developed

Read about how the guidance was developed (40kb, pdf).

Photographs

Photographs from theatre workshops that formed part of the consultation process.

GMC helps to open the gates for disabled medical students

28 March 2008

New guidance for medical schools was launched today at the General Medical Council (GMC).  The guidance outlines ideas and suggestions and offers practical advice to help them put adjustments in place to improve the accessibility of medical education for disabled students.

The guidance, Advising medical schools: encouraging disabled students, was made possible through a partnership led by the GMC, financially supported by eleven medical schools, and match-funded by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills’ Gateways to the Professions fund.

The guidance is good news for those potential students who may have previously ruled out a career in medicine, believing their impairments to be a barrier to this field.  Martin Hart, Assistant Director of Education for the GMC, said,

“We are delighted to have led this project, and hope that it will encourage students who may otherwise have assumed that a career in medicine was not a possibility for them.  We are pleased to be part of an initiative which creates opportunities for all aspiring medics.” 

Medical schools have already begun to make adjustments for students with special requirements.  These include the implementation of hearing loop systems and the provision of specially modified stethoscopes for students with hearing impairments, and linking microscopes to CCTV screens for use in laboratory work for students with visual impairments.

Jemma Saville, a final year medical student at the University of Southampton, is partially sighted after her eyesight began to deteriorate during the first year of her degree.  She has firsthand experience of some of the adjustments medical schools can make.  She says,

“My medical school has been very supportive.  The staff have arranged extra teaching for me on subjects like anatomy, and provided presentations in large print so that I can read them with a magnifier.  I want other students to know that, with adjustments, an impairment or disability does not necessarily rule out a career in medicine.” 

Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education says,

"I am very pleased to see this guidance, which shows what can be done to help disabled students to realise their dream of a career in medicine. This is one of a number of projects which we have funded through the Gateways to the Professions Development fund, which aims to improve access to graduate jobs in the professions for people from a wider range of backgrounds.  Over a period of two years we have funded 24 projects to the tune of over £4 million."   

Videos of speeches

A range of disabled medical students, doctors and disability experts discussed the issues around opportunities for disabled people in medicine, at a conference held during the development of the Gateways guidance.

View videos of speeches by disabled medical students, doctors and disability experts.

Gateways guidance

The Gateways guidance Advising medical schools: encouraging disabled students is available online.

View Advising medical schools: encouraging disabled students.

Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice

17 March 2008

New GMC guidance published online today says that doctors must not allow their personal beliefs to compromise patient care. The guidance explores how doctors should deal with a range of dilemmas including abortion, the wearing of face-veils and male circumcision.  It also looks at patients’ own beliefs and how they can affect the doctor/patient relationship.

Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice has been developed in response to an increasing number of enquiries about doctors’ and patients’ personal, religious and moral beliefs. It expands on principles set out in the GMC’s core guidance, Good Medical Practice 2006 which says that doctors must not discriminate against patients by allowing their personal views to adversely affect their professional relationship.

The guidance recognises that all doctors have personal beliefs which may affect their day-to-day practice. It clarifies the distinction between conscientious objection to a procedure and discrimination against a patient or group of patients.

The guidance tackles questions such as:

• Is it ever appropriate for doctors to discuss matters of religious faith with their patients?

• A patient asks for abortion advice from a doctor who believes it is morally wrong. Is that doctor expected to refer the patient to a colleague?

• Does the GMC think female Muslim doctors should be able to wear a face veil at work?

• A doctor has been asked to circumcise a male child. There is no medical reason for the procedure. Should they refuse?

Dr John Jenkins, Chair, GMC Standards and Ethics Committee said:

“The GMC recognises that personal beliefs, values, and cultural and religious practises are central to the lives of doctors and patients. The guidance balances a doctors’ right to practise in accordance with their views and beliefs, and patients’ right to receive timely and appropriate medical care. We are clear that doctors must not mislead patients about the options available to them or leave them with nowhere to turn. We hope this guidance will help doctors understand how to apply the GMC’s principles in their day-to-day practice”.

Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf, Fellow, Interfaith Alliance said:

“The Interfaith Alliance represents thousands of people of different faiths, including both patients and doctors. We strongly support the GMC’s commitment to providing guidance for doctors on issues of belief and faith in clinical practice. Doctors are in a position of power in relation to their patients – this guidance makes it clear that any attempt by doctors to impose their religious or political views would be an abuse of that power.”

View the Personal beliefs and medical practice guidance.

Initial Consultation – Confidentiality: Protecting and providing information

3 March 2008

The GMC is reviewing its guidance to doctors, ‘Confidentiality: Protecting and providing information’. The current guidance was published in 2004 and consists of a booklet of high level principles of good practice and a supplementary booklet of Frequently Asked Questions. Read the guidance and frequently asked questions.

Although published in 2004, the current guidance is similar to that issued in 2000, and we have not consulted on this subject since 1998-2000, when there was considerable public debate about the common law, and the balance between the benefits of research/epidemiology and respect for the rights of individuals.
A working group, chaired by Dr Henrietta Campbell, the former Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, has been established to oversee a thorough review of the guidance. The group includes medical and lay members of the GMC as well as external members to provide expertise in psychiatry and research, where some of the most difficult questions arise.

In January 2008, this working group issued a call for individuals and groups, whether professional, public or patient oriented, as well as employers and others with an interest, to answer a set of questions to clarify views about the existing guidance and to identify (by way of examples) where the biggest challenges exist for doctors in balancing respect for patients against the benefits of information sharing. This initial consultation has now closed and will be followed either later this year or early next, by a formal consultation on a revised version of the guidance.

If you have any queries about the review please contact the Standards and Ethics Team on 020 7189 5404 or standards@gmc-uk.org.

PMETB to be merged with GMC

28 February 2008

The Secretary of State for Health has announced that PMETB will be merged with the GMC. The decision follows a recommendation made by Professor Sir John Tooke in “Aspiring to Excellence: Final report of the Independent Inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers.”

President of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto, welcomed the decision saying:

“We welcome the DH announcement to merge PMETB with the GMC as recommended by Sir John Tooke in his recent report.  The merger will bring under one roof the regulation of all stages of medical education and will deliver real benefits for patients and the public, as well as for the medical profession. 

We look forward to working closely with PMETB during the transitional period to ensure that the good work PMETB has begun will continue. PMETB has made a significant contribution to postgraduate medical education in the UK and we are agreed that the momentum will be maintained.

It is also important to ensure a continuity of service so that medical regulation continues to command the confidence and support of the four key interest groups – patients and the public, doctors, the NHS and other healthcare providers and the medical schools and medical Royal Colleges.”

Read the Government’s response to the independent inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers (Department of Health website) (opens in a new window).

Good Medical Practice in Action is launched

6 February 2008

The GMC has launched an exciting new interactive web zone for doctors to bring its core guidance, Good Medical Practice, to life.

Good Medical Practice in Action invites the user to be the doctor in a series of ethical case studies which highlight some important issues addressed in the GMC’s guidance booklet.

The action starts with four patients in a waiting room. The user is able to click on one of the patients to watch and listen to their consultation with a doctor. As each ethical dilemma reveals itself, the user is called on to decide which option is the best match to the GMC’s guidance in Good Medical Practice. GMC Standards Committee member Dr Nicola Toynton gives feedback on the user’s decision, with links to the GMC’s website to view the guidance itself.

Each patient consultation presents dilemmas, which explore issues such as conscientious objection, communication skills, advertising, and reporting concerns about colleagues. For example, what should a doctor do when faced with the following situations?

Katy asks for help managing her panic attacks which are possibly connected to her illegal drug use. Dr Newell personally disapproves of Katy’s lifestyle, what should she recommend? 

• Mrs Melville asks cosmetic surgeon Mr Yannis about a second face-lift (she had her first eight years ago). Her GP is not in favour and is concerned that more surgery will be too risky. How should Mr Yannis proceed? 

• Jason is well-informed about his mental-health condition. His usual medication has been withdrawn and he wants to try out a new drug that he’s researched on the internet. It is very expensive. What should Dr Williams do next? 

• Brian is allergic to penicillin, but has been prescribed it in error by Dr Hargreaves, who is currently not working due to his wife’s death. Should Brian receive an apology? Who from? 

Dr John Jenkins, Chair of the GMC Standards and Ethics Committee said: “Since publishing a revised version of Good Medical Practice in October 2006, we’ve been developing new ways to communicate its messages to doctors. GMP in Action is part of this ongoing work and is designed to bring the GMC’s guidance to life for doctors in a way that a traditional printed booklet can’t.

“GMC guidance sets out the overarching principles we expect doctors to follow. In reality, the situations doctors face are complex and don’t always happen in isolation. GMP in Action is designed to reflect this, with each patient presenting the doctor with more than one dilemma. It will be a useful tool for all doctors to test their knowledge, whether they are experienced or just starting out in their careers. Patients will also get insight into the sorts of issues faced by doctors every day.

“This is our first use of interactive media to promote our guidance. We want as many doctors as possible to evaluate the scenarios and provide us with feedback as to how this new approach could be developed and made most useful for them.”

To get interactive with Good Medical Practice, go to: Good Medical Practice in Action (opens in a new window).

For a full list of the GMC’s ethical guidance go to: www.gmc-uk.org/guidance.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has published its Business Plan for 2008

28 January 2008

The Plan outlines the work we will do to continue leading and supporting the modernisation of medical regulation, ensuring patient safety is at its core.

Speaking about the year ahead, Chief Executive of the GMC, Finlay Scott said:

“The GMC has changed considerably in the last ten years and 2008 promises to continue this process. Working with our key interest groups, we will continue to deliver high quality regulation that protects, promotes and maintains the health and safety of the public.”

The Business Plan sets out our objectives for the year ahead. Its six key aims bring together projects and activities across registration, standards, education and fitness to practise, including:

• Implementation of regulatory reform proposals set out in the 2007 White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety – the Regulation of Health Professional in the 21st Century

• Preparations for the implementation of revalidation which will provide assurance that every licensed doctor remains up-to-date and fit to practise;

• The transition to a reconstituted Council composed of equal numbers of lay and medical members; and

• Establishing the three board model for the oversight and coordination of all stages of medical education - undergraduate, post-graduate and continuing professional development.

The full version of the Business Plan can be found at:

http://www.gmc-uk.org/publications/business_plans/index.asp.

Medical professionalism road shows

10 January 2008

The GMC has teamed up with the King’s Fund and Royal College of Physicians to hold a series of road shows for medical students looking at the meaning of medical professionalism and the importance of professional values.

The pilot events, titled ‘Becoming a Doctor – Journey or destination?’, are part of the GMC’s student engagement strategy. They follow on from previous events by the King’s Fund and Royal College of Physicians looking at what the future holds for doctors.

The four road shows, running over January and February 2008, bring together students, staff and leading figures from the medical world to debate the role and importance of professional values amidst changing societal attitudes.

• Can professionalism be taught?
• Do younger doctors have a different understanding of professionalism?
• Should doctors be involved in managing the health service?
• Do you need to be a good person to be a good doctor?

Attendees will discuss these and other questions, and hear the views of high-profile speakers, including GMC President Sir Graeme Catto, King’s Fund Chief Executive Niall Dickson and Royal College of Physicians President Professor Ian Gilmore.

Join the discussion online

We have also created a discussion group on the networking website 'Facebook' and hope that the group will be a way of widening the debate, as well as providing useful links to resources on medical professionalism.

In order to join the 'Becoming a Doctor' Facebook group, you need to be registered with Facebook. If you do not yet have a Facebook account, simply go to www.facebook.com and sign up – registering only takes a few minutes and is free of charge.

Once you are a Facebook member, you can join the group by clicking on the link below:

Go to 'Becoming a doctor' discussion group

Section 60 order: Governance of the GMC

26 November 2007

The Health Care and Associated Professions Order 2008 was published today (26 November) ahead of a three month consultation period. The first in a series of Section 60 Orders, it will take forward some of the reforms identified in the White Paper: Trust Assurance and Safety - The regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century. A Section 60 Order is a statutory instrument made under powers set out in the Health Act 1999, which enables changes to the laws regulating healthcare professionals without requiring a new Act of Parliament (primary leglislation) to be passed.

For more information about the consultation on the proposed Section 60 order, please visit the DH website (opens in a new window).

GMC response to the publication of the Health and Social Care Bill

16 November 2007

Sir Graeme Catto, President of the General Medical Council said:

“The General Medical Council welcomes the publication of the Health and Social Care Bill as a further step towards implementation of the White Paper ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.’ The package of proposals we published in November 2006, which are reflected in the White Paper, provide the basis for a strong, independent system of health professional regulation into the foreseeable future.

“We are confident that our current arrangements for adjudication lead to consistent and high quality decisions. We have said we will work with the Government to ensure a smooth transition to an independent adjudication body, subject to a satisfactory agreement on the details. We also welcome the strengthening of local arrangements through the introduction of responsible officers.

“Our statutory purpose is to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine. It is important that the major changes which are being proposed in this Bill should engender patient trust together with confidence among doctors that they are being treated fairly.”

Download the Health and Social Care Bill (0.95mb, pdf).

Working with the Mental Capacity Act

08 October 2007

From 1 October 2007 this Act is fully in force in England and Wales. It impacts on all doctors working with or caring for adults (16+) who lack mental capacity (or have impaired capacity) to make their own decisions about health, social care and financial matters.

The Act makes clear who has authority to make decisions in certain situations and sets out statutory principles which must guide decision-making. 

Doctors have a legal duty to have regard to the Code of Practice in their day to day decisions about the treatment and care of incapacitated patients. So it is important that doctors take steps to familiarise themselves with the legal principles, and the provisions of the Code which are of most relevance to their areas of practice.

GMCtoday (Sept 2007) provides useful information about web resources from the Department of Health, England and the Welsh Assembly.

Any current GMC guidance published before 2005 should be read in conjunction with the Code of Practice. This mainly affects our booklets on Research and Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Prolonging Treatments.

GMCtoday (May and July 2007) provides more information about the implications of the Act for GMC guidance.

It should be noted that we are currently re-drafting the guidance on Consent to reflect the new legal framework and experience with related legislation in Scotland. A new edition is expected to be published early in 2008.

The Medical Act 1983 (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Amendments Order 2006

08 October 2007

The GMC and the Department of Health have been working collaboratively to modernise the regulation of medical practice in line with the wider reform of the regulation of healthcare professions.  This is with a view to improving public safety and the care of patients.

An Order amending the Medical Act 1983 will be implemented on 19 October 2007 focusing primarily on:

• The abolition of the separate system of limited registration that currently exists for international medical graduates and its replacement by a single registration framework for all medical practitioners
  
  
• New training and supervision requirements for recently qualified medical practitioners
  
  
• Further enhancements of the GMC's arrangements relating to doctors' fitness to practise
  

The amended version of the Medical Act will be available on the legislation page from 19 October 2007.

The abolition of limited registration and the introduction of new registration arrangements for medical practitioners qualifying outside the EEA.

GMC events at the 2007 party conferences

14 September 2007

The GMC will be participating in this year’s party conferences as part of the Health Hotel, a partnership of 36 organisations, including health charities and regulators such as the GMC, who work together to promote debate about health issues.

We are working closely with a number of other organisations in the Health Hotel to host fringes on patient safety and patient and public involvement in healthcare at the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative party conferences.

The GMC will be represented by our President, Sir Graeme Catto at the Labour and Liberal Democrat Conferences and our Chief Executive, Finlay Scott at the Conservative Conference. They will outline how medical regulation can enhance patient safety and how we have increased the level of patient and public engagement in our work.

Full details of the fringes are outlined below. If you would like any further information please contact a member of our Public Affairs team via publicaffairs@gmc-uk.org or on 020 7189 5394.

The egg timer debate: Is this NHS damaging your health?

When it comes to the safety of patients, is the NHS safe enough? This Health Hotel debate will look at how the NHS can be made safer for patients, and what can be done through regulation, communication and education. Presenting their different perspectives under a two minute deadline, the panel members will then take questions, leaving the audience to decide.

Location and speaker details

There will also be speakers from the Association of British Healthcare Industries, the Healthcare Commission, the Medical Protection Society and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Who knows best? Patient and public involvement in healthcare

The importance of patients and the public taking an active interest in their healthcare has arguable never been greater. There are different approaches in terms of theories and structures for involving users, but which are the most effective? Should engagement be on the basis of compulsion, partnership or something else?

Location and speaker details

There will also be speakers from Asthma UK, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and UNISON.

Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise

3 September 2007

The Education Committee established a joint working group with the Medical Schools Council in 2005. The aim of the working group was to consider constructive ways of improving student fitness to practise in the UK. The working group have consulted widely and the result is new joint guidance, Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise.

The guidance is aimed at medical students and all those involved in medical education. Medical students: professional behaviour and fitness to practise covers the topics:

a) professional behaviour expected of medical students
b) areas of misconduct and the sanctions available
c) the key elements in student fitness to practise arrangements.

The guidance aims to promote the professional behaviours expected of medical students and help instil these behaviours in students. The guidance also aims to help medical schools reach decisions about a student’s fitness to practise and in this way develop consistency in approaches to student fitness to practise.

New guidance issued – Writing references

13 August 2007

New guidance on doctors’ responsibilities when Writing References is now available. The guidance is part of a series of supporting documents, designed to help doctors and the public understand how the principles in Good Medical Practice apply in practice.
 
Writing References provides more information for doctors on their responsibilities to provide only honest, justifiable and accurate comments when giving references for, or writing reports about, colleagues.

Guidance for doctors acting as expert witnesses

We regret the delay in issuing guidance for doctors acting as expert witnesses. The text is being finalised and we now plan to publish in September 2007.

GMC and Stonewall join forces

27 July 2007

Stonewall and the General Medical Council (GMC) have joined forces to help combat concerns that some doctors are not responding properly to the health needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

Research conducted by Stonewall during the consultation for the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 highlighted some of the problems faced by LGB people when trying to access services from doctors. These included:

• Failure either to examine or to respond to a patient properly, for example doctors that have not been willing to offer a smear test to lesbians
• Doctors refusing to accept someone as a patient because of their sexuality
• Doctors that have made offensive of discriminatory comments about LGB people and their sexuality
  

As a response to these concerns, an information leaflet has been produced which aims to inform LGB people of their right to complain if they feel they have been discriminated against by their doctor, and offers guidance on how they should go about this. The leaflet is the first the GMC has published for a specific group of patients.

Doctors wishing to practise medicine in the UK must be registered with the GMC, who already publish guidance for doctors to follow to ensure patients are not treated unfairly. Failure to follow this can put their registration at risk.

Ruth Hunt, Head of Policy & Research at Stonewall explains; “Stonewall is extremely pleased to be working with the GMC. We have heard from many men and women who have been treated differently by doctors just because of their sexual orientation. We hope this leaflet will reassure gay people that they can, and should, complain when they receive substandard care, and that their complaint will be taken seriously.”

Dr Ed Borman, GMC council member, says: "The GMC wants to make sure that all patients can access appropriate healthcare without difficulties. We are working together with Stonewall to ensure that LGB patients do not encounter any barriers to their medical care. The GMC sets out the principles of good practice in our guidance to doctors Good Medical Practice and can take action where this guidance has not been followed."

Download the Stonewall-GMC information leaflet (271kb, pdf)

Further information about how patients can complain about their doctor, including the leaflet itself, can be viewed in our Concerns about doctors section.

GMC Seminar Workshop on Trust, Assurance and Safety - Monday 16 July 2007

16 July 2007

The GMC hosted a seminar today (16 July) focusing on our plans to take forward key areas in the White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.

The event was aimed at senior representatives from organisations with an interest in the delivery and regulation of healthcare.

Read more about the event and watch extracts from the speeches online.

GMC Seminar Workshop on Trust, Assurance and Safety - Monday 16 July 2007

13 July 2007

The Royal Society, 6 - 9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG (http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/publication.asp?id=1878)

The seminar will focus on the GMC's plans to take forward key areas in the White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century. This event is aimed at senior representatives from organisations with an interest in the delivery and regulation of healthcare, and provides an opportunity to consider the key areas in greater detail.

Provisional Agenda

• Registration & Breakfast 9 - 9.50am.
• Presentations from the GMC’s Chief Executive Finlay Scott and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Martin Marshall.
• Breakout discussion groups will consider the GMC's plans on a range of issues such as preparing for the introduction of Licences to Practise; translating Good Medical Practice into an effective framework for relicensing and revalidation; handling concerns about doctors (including changing the standard of proof); and education issues in the context of revalidation.
• The seminar will conclude with lunch at 1pm.

To Register

The event is now full. A round-up of the event will appear on this website.

Workshops on Consent

22 June 2007

As part of the consultation on the new guidance on consent and decision-making we have held a series of five workshops across the UK in May and June. The aim of the workshops was to provide an opportunity for doctors, patients and carers to discuss the issues that can arise when a patient’s ability to make decisions about their care is impaired or fluctuating.

An invited audience of patients, carers and doctors watched a short play about a patient, Will, who needs treatment for a physical condition but whose ability to make decisions is affected by early-stage dementia. The play followed Will and his wife and carer, Helen, from an appointment with their GP through emergency admission to hospital and onto the surgical ward.  The audience was then invited to comment on and discuss their views and concerns about the various consultations, and to take the place of the actors to show what they would do differently in order to get a better outcome.

All of the events generated interesting discussion and the feedback from participants was very positive. Issues discussed at the workshops included the importance of good communication, giving patients time to absorb and reflect on the discussions and information, the need to see obtaining consent as part of the process of involving patients in decision-making and how doctors should explain risks to patients. The information gathered from these events will feed into the wider consultation and will inform the content of the new guidance, which will be published in early 2008.

We would like to thank the National Theatre for scripting and performing the play, and the participants for their interest and enthusiasm. Thanks are also due to the Alzheimer's Society, the Scottish Dementia Working Group, Age Concern in Northern Ireland and the Dementia Care Partnership, Newcastle.

Pictures from the workshops

Take part in the consultation

The GMC is holding a public consultation on new draft guidance for doctors on issues around consent and good practice in decision-making.

President congratulates Professor Husband

18 June 2007

GMC President Sir Graeme Catto offered his congratulations this week to Professor Janet Husband, who was awarded Dame of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Dame Janet, who is a Member of the GMC and sits on the Standards and Ethics Committee, received the honour for services to medicine. The award recognises her work as a world renowned figure in radiolology and in the development of cancer services nationally. Dame Janet is also Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and President of the Royal College of Radiologists.

Sir Graeme said: "I am delighted that Professor Janet Husband's many achievements in the field of radiology and her contribution to the development of national cancer services have been recognised in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List.

"Janet makes a real contribution to the General Medical Council and her leadership of the Royal College of Radiologists in recent years has helped drive forward professional standards."

GMC approves two new medical schools

13 June 2007

From today four medical schools in the UK will, for the first time, be able to award their own primary medical qualifications. The schools have all completed a quality assurance program carried out by the General Medical Council.

The four schools include two new medical schools, University of East Anglia Medical School and Peninsula Medical School. Two existing medical schools, Warwick Medical School and Cardiff Medical School can now begin awarding degrees independently from their parent universities, having completed the GMC’s Quality Assurance program. This brings the total number of medical schools as recognised in the Medical Act from 23 to 27.

Part of the GMC’s responsibility as the UK’s medical regulator is to set standards for basic medical education and to ensure that these standards are met. To do this the GMC regularly visits and assesses medicals schools. New schools must pass the GMC’s thorough assessments before they can award degrees. The GMC sets the standard that students must demonstrate to graduate but schools devise their own curriculum to enable students to meet the standards. A quality teaching environment will enable medical students to put into practice the principles that the GMC expect of doctors throughout their careers.

Professor Peter Rubin, chair of the GMC Education Committee says:

"We work closely with new medical schools, engaging with them well before their first intake of students. Under our Quality Assurance for Basic Medical Education program, we put the schools through a rigorous five-year assessment, taking account of developments in educational theory and research, and professional practice.

"For this work we bring in a diversity of educational, lay and medical experts, who can highlight good practice and also share innovations in medicine across a range of specialist fields.

"'Tomorrow’s Doctors’, our guidance for medical schools, is designed to take a practical, outcomes-based approach, with emphasis on ensuring that medical students are going to be able to put into practice the principles laid out in ‘Good Medical Practice’, our core guidance for doctors."

The GMC has pioneered a world-class quality assurance framework designed to drive high standards across medical education. It is in the interests of both doctors and patients that the UK has the highest quality of training and medical education which promotes equality and values diversity in order to prepare medical students for a career in medicine.

For further information about our role in Education, please see our Education section.

Registration consultation - registration regulations and procedures

08 June 2007

The GMC is holding a consultation on aspects of our registration regulations and procedures.

We are committed to a process of open and inclusive consultation before we make changes to our rules or procedures. This involves listening to views from all those the procedures may affect.

We are consulting on registration regulations and procedures, relating to:

1. The procedures to be followed when dealing with applications for registration and the maintenance of the register; and
2. The form and content of the register.

This consultation runs from 8 June 2007 to 10 August 2007.

Download the consultation documents

You can use the links below to access the consultation documents.

• Consultation document (46kb, pdf)
• Draft registration decisions arrangements of procedures document (85kb, pdf)
• Draft Form and Content of the Register Regulations (25kb, pdf)

How to comment

If you wish to respond to this consultation you can do so by either e-mailing spconsultation@gmc-uk.org or by sending your response to:

Catharine Sharman
Strategy and Planning Policy Adviser
General Medical Council
350 Euston Road
London
NW1 3JN

Sir Graeme is re-elected

15 May 2007

Sir Graeme Catto has been elected, unopposed, to serve as President of the General Medical Council for a further term from 1 July 2007, until 30 June 2009.

Sir Graeme has served as President of the General Medical Council since 1 February 2002. Sir Graeme is Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Aberdeen. He was knighted in 2002 for services to medicine and medical education.

Commenting on his re-election Sir Graeme said:

“The GMC has implemented a number of major reforms during my time as President, reforms which were necessary to ensure that the regulatory system for doctors commands the confidence and support of the public and the profession.

"Regulation is a dynamic process – it should not stand still. I look forward to leading the Council as we begin this next significant period of work.”

BSI certifies GMC to world’s best information security standard

30 April 2007

The British Standards Institute (BSI) has presented the ISO 27001 (Information Security Standard) to the General Medical Council (GMC).

The ISO 27001 security standard involves an audit of the many ways information is handled within an organisation. This involves checking information is accurate, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained and that information is available when it is needed.

Compliance with this standard provides assurance that the GMC is using best practice in handling information safely and securely. Achieving the standard is not a one-off event but involves ongoing assessment and review, and undertaking corrective action where necessary to ensure the effectiveness of procedures.

Neil Hannah, Managing Director of the BSI, presenting the award to the GMC said:

"The GMC is one of just a small but growing group of organisations who have successfully achieved this standard. Others include the Food Standards Agency, BUPA, Camelot, Betfair, BAE Systems, Capita, HBOS, Paypoint and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

"This standard is widely considered to be the most comprehensive set of security best practice controls available and encompasses everything from people to physical environment to IT systems."

Neil Roberts, Director of Registration and Resources for the GMC, commented:

"We’re very pleased to be receiving this award, it is a measure of the progress we have made since 2003 in upgrading our systems and enhancing the security culture throughout the GMC.

"The nature of our work means that the GMC holds sensitive information about doctors and others. We have a duty to ensure that we handle all such information appropriately to minimise any risk of a security breach and for this reason, we wanted our systems and procedures to be audited against a benchmark that is respected worldwide.

"In the last four years we have made major investments in our infrastructure and our people, funded primarily through savings emanating from the relocation of work to Manchester and a host of other initiatives aimed at improving productivity. Certification to ISO 27001 is tangible evidence that this approach is bearing fruit and that we take very seriously the task of improving our capacity to provide doctors, employers, patients and the public with the information they need in a safe and secure manner."

The GMC completed work on implementing this standard within its Fitness to Practise directorate in 2006, and is now rolling this standard out across the rest of the organisation.

Fitness to Practise consultation

17 April 2007

The GMC is consulting on proposals to change our rules for disposing of cases consensually at the investigation stage of our fitness to practise procedures.

We are also consulting on revised guidance to our Fitness to Practise Rules.

The consultation runs from 17 April 2007 to 17 July 2007.

The New Doctor

11 April 2007

The GMC and the PMETB have jointly agreed the Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme, which foundation programme providers must meet.

Also agreed are the Outcomes that from 1 August 2007 provisionally registered doctors must demonstrate before full registration is granted.

The outcomes and standards have been revised from those contained in The New Doctor (2005) following a consultation in 2006 by the GMC and PMETB. The greater part of the detail from The New Doctor (2005) is now contained in the Curriculum Framework for the Foundation Years (Foundation Programme curriculum) developed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Foundation Programme Committee. The GMC Education Committee has approved the Foundation Programme curriculum, which means that provisionally registered doctors (F1 doctors) who successfully complete the foundation curriculum and can demonstrate the F1 outcomes will be eligible for full registration with the GMC.

Government White Paper - GMC response

21 February 2007

The GMC has issued its response to the Government White Paper on healthcare regulation published earlier today (Feb 21).

On this website you can

• Read the GMC's statement in response to the White Paper
• View the White Paper (DoH website)
• Read what other organisations are saying about the White Paper

The GMC's Proposals on Healthcare Professional Regulation

You can download the GMC's Proposals on Healthcare Regulation and the letter submitted to the Secretary of State here:

• Download the GMC's Proposals on Healthcare Regulation - Nov 2006 (528k, pdf)
• Download the letter to the Secretary of State (85k, pdf)
• View the GMC press release
• Comment from the Health Minister

Equality Scheme

04 December 2006

As part of our commitment to valuing diversity and promoting equality we have today published our Equality Scheme.

We involved organisations and the public in developing our scheme and welcome any comments on it.

Comments should be emailed to secretariat@gmc-uk.org.

Our Committee for Diversity and Equality will monitor progress on the activities identified in the action plan.

View our Equality Scheme.

GMC statement in response to the Court of Appeal judgment

26 October 2006

Chief Executive, Finlay Scott, said:

"This appeal was about protecting the public interest. The public must be confident that doctors and other professionals, who give evidence in court proceedings, can, if necessary, be held to account by their regulator. We did not accept that the GMC should be prevented from using its statutory powers when we judge it to be necessary; and the Court of Appeal has confirmed that we were correct.

"We are very pleased with today’s decision that there is no immunity from action by the GMC and other regulators. The Court of Appeal has upheld our view that the GMC is free to act to protect the public when a doctor has fallen significantly below acceptable standards. This is a very important point of law.

"We have consistently recognised that it cannot be in the public interest if doctors are deterred from giving evidence, honestly and truthfully, and within their competence. However, the GMC did not believe that the solution lay in extending the principle of immunity in a way that placed doctors and other professionals beyond the reach of their regulator. We are very pleased that the Court of Appeal agrees."

Future of Medical Regulation - GMC consultation event with the prominent thinktank Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) considers key issues in Good Doctors, Safer Patients

5 October 2006

As part of our ongoing process of engagement, the GMC, in partnership with prominent think tank IPPR, hosted a seminar workshop on 5 October to consider issues arising from the report of the Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, 'Good doctors, safer patients'.

This report made wide-ranging recommendations on medical regulation about which the Department of Health is currently consulting. Click here to read consultation. NOTE – this consultation closed on 10 November.

The seminar attracted about 80- 100 attendees from across the UK and brought together representatives from each of the GMC's key stakeholder groups; patients, doctors, employers, educators and academics as well as other healthcare regulators and government officials. The event was held under Chatham House Rules of anonymity.

A presentation was given by Finlay Scott, Chief Executive of the GMC, which set out the context of the report from Sir Liam Donaldson and the principles that will underpin the GMC's response. Click here to download this presentation (MS Powerpoint).

A summary of the GMC/ippr Seminar Workshop (45k, pdf) on 'Good Doctors, Safer Patients' can also be viewed.

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Journalists can access background briefings, the latest press releases, press office contacts, images and more from our online press office.